During his Friday morning Mass, Pope Francis talked about the Church. He explained that the Church can't do everything by herself.
POPE FRANCIS
'When the Church believes that she can do everything, that she can take charge of the consciences of the people, walking the road of the Pharisees, of the Sadducees, the road of hypocrisy, yes, the Church remains sterile. Letâ??s pray. So that this Christmas our Church may be open to the gift of God, that she may allow herself to be surprised by the Holy Spirit and be a Church that gives birth, a mother Church. Many times I think that in some places the Church is more like an entrepreneur than a mother.â?
The Pope concluded that the Church must always be open to God. Today's Mass was the last one of the year open to pilgrims.
EXCERPT OF THE POPE'S HOMILY
'From sterility, the Lord is able to restart a new lineage, a new life. And that is the message of today. When humanity is exhausted and can no longer go forward, grace comes, the Son comes and Salvation comes. And that exhausted Creation gives way to a new creation.â?
'This too makes me think of our mother Church and of so much sterility within our Mother Church: when because of the weight of the hope in the Commandments, that pelagianism that all of us carry within our bones, she becomes sterile. She believes she is capable of giving birthâ?¦ no, she canâ??t! The Church is a mother and only becomes a mother when she opens to the newness of God, to the strength of the Spirit. When she says to herself: 'I do everything, but Iâ??ve finished, I canâ??t go forward!â?, the Spirit comes.â?
'And today is also a day to pray for our Mother Church, because of so much sterility within the people of God. A sterility arising from egoism, from power â?¦ when the Church believes she can do everything, that she can take charge of the consciences of the people, walk along the road of the Pharisees, of the Sadducees, along the road of hypocrisy, yes, the Church is sterile. Letâ??s pray. That this Christmas our Church may be open to the gift of God, that she may allow herself to be surprised by the Holy Spirit and be a Church that gives birth, a mother Church. Many times I think that in some places the Church is more like an entrepreneur than a mother.â?
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